Posts Tagged ‘pre-existing medical conditions’

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You are what you tweet

Tuesday, July 19th, 2011

Are you a big fan of Twitter. Or have you never used it? You may have had a look but then been put off by some of the seemingly inane tweets – along the lines of what people have had for breakfast, or their plans for dinner. But, actually, Twitter can be more useful than you think. Seemingly tedious comments about headaches and hangovers can reveal nation-wide health trends and misconceptions, according to this article.

In the US, Tweets about illnesses were analysed to find out who was ill, their location in the country,  what medication they were taking and whether they were treating themselves correctly. John Hopkins University computer scientists analysed 1.5 million tweets sent between May 2009 and October 2010 which all referred to health matters. 

An interesting part of the study was medical misperceptions. For example, some people tweeted that they were taking antibiotics for flu. But antibiotics don’t work on the flu, which is a virus, and this practice could contribute to the growing antibiotic resistance problems.

In about 200,000 of the health-related tweets, the researchers were able to draw on user-provided public information to identify the geographic state from which the message was sent.  That allowed them to track some trends by time and place, such as when the allergy and flu seasons peaked in various parts of the US. 

The scientists have been talking to public health scientists who say that future studies of tweets could uncover even more useful data, both only about medical trends but also about public perceptions concerning illnesses and medications. (However, the researchers did point out that there is a limit to what people will share on Twitter, and all research will be limited by this).

This got me thinking about other ways that Twitter provides useful information, particularly in the world of travel, travel insurance and travelling with medical conditions. It really is a wealth of information with people providing their own personal tips or recommendations. This could be anything from places to visit, good restaurants, and insurers to try, for example. At AllClear Travel, we do our best to provide you with useful information on Twitter too, you can find us at www.twitter.com/allcleartravel. Please do check us out and follow on Twitter. And then we are really interested in finding out how we can provide even more useful information for you on travel, particularly travelling with medical conditions. Do let us know in the comments box below how we can help

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5 Popular misconceptions about travel insurance

Wednesday, July 6th, 2011

Insurance of any kind can be quite a complicated thing – there are often lots of jargon terms used and understanding the levels of cover, and excesses etc, can be quite tricky. The AllClear Jargon Buster could help you here, but to help you even more, we wanted to put to rest some of the popular misconceptions about travel insurance.

Misconception 1: “If I don’t tell my insurers about my medical conditions they won’t find out”

Reality: If you do not tell your travel insurance provider about a pre-existing medical condition, then you will not be covered for any claim arising from or related to the condition. If you then need medical treatment abroad, this could work out very expensive. Make sure you get comprehensive travel insurance that includes your existing medical conditions.

Misconception 2:  “You don’t need travel insurance in Europe if you have an EHIC card”

Reality: Even if you have a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC), you’re not fully covered and should still take out travel insurance. This is based on official guidance from the FCO.

Why is that? An EHIC does not mean you are insured. Basically there are restrictions on the treatment available with an EHIC:

  • Few EU countries pay the full cost of medical treatment, even under the European Union’s healthcare arrangements. You still need sufficient travel insurance to cover healthcare costs.
  • In some countries, like Greece, the health service only covers medical treatment, and will not extend to feeding and personal care. But if you have travel insurance, this part of your healthcare will be covered by your travel insurance.
  • If you need an air ambulance home or you can’t travel home on your booked ticket, you could still face a bill of thousands. Just a simple broken ankle, for example, will often mean a medical escort home (usually required by the airline in case of complications in flight) and a first class seat for extra leg room.
  • You will not be covered if you  need extra accommodation to stay with a sick relative

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Misconception 3: “I’ve got annual insurance so I’m covered for everything”

Reality: This is just not true. For example, even if you have annual travel insurance, you will only have winter sports cover if you have added it separately. This blog explains more.

You also need to check two things. First, does your policy have a limit on the number of days you can ski a year? Second, does your policy cover you for where you want to ski?

Misconception 4: “My travel insurance will cover all my costs”

Reality: Make sure you check your policy limits before you buy, as there will be maximum limits on payouts. Also, you will often need to pay an excess (The portion of a claim which must be paid by you, the policy holder). Remember to check the excesses in the policy booklet before you actually buy the policy.

Medical treatment abroad can be very expensive (particularly in certain countries like the USA) so make sure you have sufficient medical expenses cover – many will cover you for millions.

In the same way, check the maximum payout value for cancellation cover. If you are going on a luxury holiday, you may find that the cost of your holiday is more expensive than the standard payout offered in your policy, so make sure you check if you are covered. Some travel insurance providers may offer additional cancellation cover for these circumstances, like AllClear Cruise.

 Misconception 5: “I need to allow an extra few days for my travel insurance, just in case the return flight is delayed”

 Reality:  This is incorrect, you are normally covered by your travel insurance if your flight is delayed. You just need to use the actual dates of your holiday.

Remember, if you are in any doubt about what you are covered for, find out before you go from your travel insurance provider. Also, you can ask any questions below, and we will do our very best to help…

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Silver Surfers Day

Thursday, May 19th, 2011
travel insurance for older people

Are you a silver surfer?

This Friday is Silver Surfers Day, but before you all head out to Newquay with custom designed silver surfboards, I am talking about surfing of the online variety for the over 55s.

Silver Surfers’ Day is the biggest, national campaign to promote the use of digital technologies by older people and was launched by Digital Unite in 2002. They estimate that over the years more than one hundred thousand older people have engaged with digital technologies as a result of Silver Surfers Day events.

This year, to celebrate the tenth anniversary of Silver Surfers’ Day, they have extended the campaign to a week-long activity, Spring Online, 16-20 May, to encourage more people than ever before to take part. Spring Online with Silver Surfers’ Day is delivered by Digital Unite in partnership with UK Online Centres, the BBC and Race Online 2012. 

At AllClear Travel, we think that Silver Surfers Day is a great way to encourage older people to get online.  One way where being online is useful is when searching for travel insurance. Unfortunately, a lot of elderly people often find it difficult to get the comprehensive travel insurance that they need for their holiday, especially if they have medical conditions, but this is where being able to search online makes things a little easier. AllClear Options is the UK’s first specialist travel insurance comparison site, so you can go online and enter all your details just once and then get a range of comprehensive travel insurance quotes, making sure you get the travel insurance that suits you.

Consider yourself a silver surfer? Not been online long? Do let us know your online experiences. And please take a look at AllClear Options and let us know what you think of it, too

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Lobster pill to help treat arthritis

Thursday, May 12th, 2011

travelling with arthritisNow a lot of might like to eat lobster as a special treat, but how do you feel about eating the crushed up shell as a tablet? Not so appetising?

But if you have arthritis, this can be a way to treat your symptoms….

Let me start from the beginning. Arthritis is an umbrella term for a group of diseases that affect the joints, all of which result in pain and disability.  According to Arthritis Research UK, as many as one in ten may suffer from joint degeneration.

There is no cure and few effective treatments besides painkillers and, eventually, surgery. One other option, though, is Glucosamine, as described in this article. Official medical guidance does not recognise it as an effective arthritis treatment, but Arthritis Research UK does endorse it.

So what exactly is Glucosamine?

Glucosamine is needed to produce a molecule called hyaluronic acid, which is found naturally in cartilage, tendons, ligaments, and synovial fluid around the joints and helps with elasticity.  You can’t obtain glucosamine directly from your diet. Instead, our body produces it from the glucose and glutamine building blocks in all foods.

As production of glucosamine slows with age, you can take it as a supplement. Glucosamine supplements are prepared using chitin, present in the shells of crabs, lobsters, prawns and shrimps.

Millions of Britons bought these glucosamine supplements last year – worldwide we spent £2 billion (much more than the £30 million we spend annually on Vitamin C)

So what is the verdict on Glucosamine for treating arthritis? At least 21 trials focusing have taken place. Although some trials have reported positive health benefits, other larger trials have reported no effect.

Arthritis Research UK suggests that those who want to try it should take glucosamine mixed with chondroitin (shark cartilage) supplements for three months and if the pain eases, carry on.

So what does this have to do with travel? Well if you suffer from arthritis, you might find that if you are on quite an active holiday, or one that involves a lot of walking, your arthritis might get worse. So Glucosamine could be something that you might want to consider trying before you go, and then taking the pills away with you on your holiday (obviously, check with your own doctor for your own particular circumstances though before trying it)

This is the first blog in the Travelling with Arthritis category – more blogs will be coming soon! In the meantime, please do share any other hints you have about travelling with arthritis, that might help others, below…

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Living with Cancer

Tuesday, April 5th, 2011
Travelling with cancer

There are things to think about when travelling with cancer

The Times is running a special supplement this week, all about living with cancer.

It will include information about how people’s lives change when they are diagnosed with cancer.  Currently, two million people in the UK are living with cancer, a number set to double by 2030 as diagnoses are made earlier and treatments improve

Two in every five of those diagnosed with the disease are of working age. The Times have put this supplement together to help, inform and reassure readers who have been affected.

The point they make is that because cancer is a way of life for so many people, we need to try and think of it in a different way. The new reality of cancer is that it is not a disease to be conquered, but a normal part of life that needs to be managed and adjustments made.

At AllClear, we agree with this advice, because we believe that if you have cancer, you still want to live your life as fully as you possibly can, and that includes going on holiday. You may want to plan a holiday for the end of your treatment, or that of a loved one, to relax and recuperate. So we have provided some tips on travelling with cancer here that might be useful for you.

Travel Insurance: You will need to arrange specialist cancer travel insurance. This is vital in case you fall ill and have to be brought home, or have unexpected further cancer treatment abroad, as this could be very expensive. Your cancer travel insurance will give you complete peace of mind so you can get on with enjoying your holiday. You may have had difficulty in finding travel insurance to cover your cancer in the past but because AllClear specialize in travel insurance for cancer patients, check out our website.

Talk to a Medical Professional: They may be able to suggest a good time to go, as well as helping to decide what is realistic for you. They can let you know if you are fit to travel.

Destination Decisions: For many, travelling with cancer will have little effect on their holiday. However, you may feel more tired following cancer treatment so you should check that the facilities you need are close to where you are staying. Also, certain cancer treatments, such as radiotherapy, leave the skin more sensitive to the sun. Consider your flight length, because some people with cancer are at greater risk of developing blood clots or DVT.

Vaccinations: If you are having certain cancer drugs or have a weakened immune system, you may not be able to have the required vaccinations for your holiday destination, so check with your doctor.

Medication: If you are taking any cancer medication, you should plan how much you need to take with you and get make sure you have extra in case you lose any.

 Also, look out for the 20-page supplement in the Times on Wednesday entitled Living with Cancer. It combines personal accounts with articles from specialist writers and columnists in the field of health, science and lifestyle.

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How old are you??

Thursday, March 31st, 2011
Medical travel insurance

Our average lifespan is getting longer

You may consider that a bit of a rude question, but there is actually a very scientific reason for asking it. Basically, people have been living longer since 1800 – this makes sense with things like improved nutrition, medical care, technology, education and general quality of living.

I mean, check out this incredible stat: Every day the lifespan of the average British citizen increases by between five and six hours. That means that babies born today will life five or six hours longer, on average, than those who were born yesterday. So basically, if you were a baby born 2 weeks later than your due date, you could have an average lifespan a few days longer than other babies who would have shared your birthdate. Wow!

This trend is likely to continue every day this year and possibly for the rest of the decade. In 10 years, the average British lifespan will have risen more than two years. Compare this to 1800, when the average UK lifespan was 40. Today it stands at 77.7 for men and 81.9 for women.

The change in UK lifespans has depended on several factors. In the early decades of the 19th century it was mainly due to improvements in civil engineering: sewage works, clean water supplies and better housing. These reduced people’s exposure to deadly bacteria and viruses.

Then, at the end of the 19th century, provision of the first vaccines began to protect people from illnesses such as smallpox. And finally, after the second world war, the availability of penicillin and other antibiotics saved millions of lives and continued that lifespan rise. These developments prevented large numbers of people from dying in youth or middle age – a common occurrence before 1800.

But what about the future? Will this lifespan increase reach a plateau? Well, not yet, it seems….

This discovery is crucial. Some scientists had argued that our bodies are programmed to die at a given point, a process that would ensure populations would not be clogged up with the old and infirm. The relentless rise of lifespans has dispelled this idea.

However, most experts doubt rises can continue at the present rate. If they did, the average UK lifespan would be 100 by the end of this century and 120 by the next. In particular illnesses, like diabetes, which are linked to rises in obesity, are likely to have an effect on average lifespan. According to Dr Lynne Cox, expert on ageing processes, lifestyle choices can be a massive factor here – whether young people choose to change their ways, and become healthier adults in the future.

Ok, well here at Globebloggers we like to talk about holidays, so what does this relentless increase mean here? Well, basically if we are all living longer, we will hope to have more time to go on holidays, especially once we are retired.

But although our life span may be getting longer, we are still going to be at risk of developing various diseases as we get older (and this will particularly be dependent on our lifestyle choices, as Lynn pointed out).

So an important consideration for holidays is travel insurance for the elderly, especially if they have medical conditions. Difficulty in finding travel insurance shouldn’t be an obstacle to enjoying our holidays. However, unfortunately, a lot of elderly people, or those with medical conditions, often find it difficult to get the comprehensive travel insurance that they need. If you are looking for travel insurance, make sure you use a specialist provider, so you can get the insurance you need and travel with complete peace of mind. And remember AllClear Options is the first comparison site for medical travel insurance, so you can get a range of quotes here, and make sure you get the travel insurance that suits you.

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Stress, stress, stress!

Thursday, January 27th, 2011

Just seeing the repeated 3 words of ‘stress’ there may make you feel a little stressed. Are you feeling stressed if you are sitting there reading this at work?

Interestingly though,  a recent article has found it is the pressure of running a household that makes  us feel stressed.

Scientists from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine recruited  113 men and women in full-time work.  Each one provided details on how many hours they worked, what level of  responsibility they took on for running the home and the chores they did.  They then underwent regular blood pressure checks at a local clinic over a  three-week period, before finally wearing a blood pressure monitor for a day to  track changes at work and home.  The results showed that regardless of the amount of housework actually done,  those who felt they were shouldering the responsibility were at the greatest  risk of high blood pressure.

The findings, published in the journal Psychosomatic Medicine,  suggest it’s not the workload itself but the stress about how to cope with it  that causes the damage.  The strongest link with high blood pressure came from domestic chores done,  such as cleaning, cooking and shopping.  Next came car maintenance and repair, paying the bills and keeping on top of  the household budget. 

Many parents may not agree, but looking after children had no adverse effects  on blood pressure.  Men tended to become stressed by the responsibility of looking after pets, but women were not affected. 

travel insuranceI must admit, when you see this research you can understand that running a home and family can be pretty stressful.  This got me thinking about holidays. I have often said on this blog that although going on holiday itself can be (and should be) lovely and relaxing, the preparation for it is not. Packing, organising who is looking after pets, securing your house and making sure your passport is in date can all raise the stress levels. And what about sorting out your travel insurance? This can be complicated and time consuming, particularly if you have medical conditions. On the plus side, you can now use our medical travel insurance comparison site, that will save you a lot of time entering your medical details again and again on a number of websites  -you just enter your details once and then get a range of quotes from specialist insurers, so you can choose what best suits you. Do give it a go and let us know what you think of it.

If you have got a holiday booked, but are feeling a bit stressed about getting ready for it, our stressbusters tips may help.

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Banking on your insurance?

Wednesday, December 8th, 2010

travel insurance for pre existing medical conditions

How many times have I heard people say, ‘I dont need insurance I get a free one with my bank’? Quite a few times, I would say…

But this article in the Insurance Times, explains why we should be wary of bank deals on insurance, particularly if you have an existing medical condition.

You need to make sure that you check the wording of the ‘free’ travel insurance policy you receive with a bank account or credit card very carefully, to make sure you are actually covered for pre-existing medical conditions. Some of these policies may offer to extend cover for pre-existing medical conditions provided you call them back and declare them, but the majority will not cover pre-existing medical conditions at all, especially more serious conditions like cancer.”

A medical condition is unique to the person who is suffering from it, and so if you want comprehensive travel insurance, that includes your medical conditions, you may be well advised to use a specialist insurer like AllClearTravel. This is important because when travelling abroad unexpected medical treatment is very expensive. If you don’t have comprehensive cover, that includes your medical conditions, any medical claims could be invalidated, and could be a very costly experience for you.

Hope that information is useful for you. If you have any other questions about the different types of insurance, please do ask in the comments box below, and we will be happy to help.

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Holidays and Stress

Wednesday, November 3rd, 2010

As you may have heard, today is National Stress Awareness Day. So I wanted to talk about holidays…Now I know that might sound a  little weird putting holidays and stress into the same sentence. But actually the preparation for a holiday can be pretty stressful, and so I thought I would put a few tips together so that you can get on with unwinding and enjoying your holiday.

Now, I have actually spoken about this topic before, but I thought it was so important that I will talk about it again! The key really is preparing for your holiday in advance, so it is not all a last minute rush but I know that it is easier said than done!

Insurance: Buy your travel insurance well in advance so you can travel with compete peace of mind, especially if you have existing medical conditions. Don’t forget a European Health Insurance Card if you are travelling in Europe as well.

Work: Make sure you let everyone know when you are going to be away a long time in advance so that you don’t get left with loads of work to do on the day before you go. Write a detailed handover email and fill this is over the week before you go away, so you have less chance of forgetting stuff.

Packing: Make a list, again to avoid forgetting stuff. Put everything on there, no matter how silly it sounds, because otherwise you know that is the one thing that you won’t have.

House: Consider investing in those timer lights to put into your house and make it look ‘lived in’ while you are away. If you have a friend or relative dropping in while you are away, ask them to open and close curtains etc for the same reason. Here is a useful list of electronics you might want to take with you

Camera: Make sure you download old pictures onto your computer well before you go away so that you know you have lots of space for your lovely new pictures. Take a spare memory card with you so that you don’t need to worry about downloading while you are away

Ok well there are probably loads more hints and tips, but here are a few to start off with. Please do add in other tips and hints below to avoid stress and just get on with enjoying that holiday you deserve!

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A tale of travel traumas and travel insurance

Wednesday, November 3rd, 2010
Comprehensive travel insurance

What happens if something goes wrong on your relaxing holiday and you dont have adequate travel insurance?

Unfortunately, I am talking today about a familiar story. We have all heard of people travelling without adequate travel insurance and then the horror stories if they then fall ill abroad. It really makes you stop and think… This time a British woman from Liverpool had a heart attack while on an American cruise and is now stuck in Mexico with escalating hospital costs. The couple were not covered by their HSBC travel insurance as Valerie already had angina.

The 67-year-old grandmother may be able to travel by air ambulance to a UK hospital soon,  if her health improves, but the cost has been estimated at £62,000.  The hospital bill currently stands in excess of $126,000 and is rising daily by a minimum of $3,500. HSBC say they have advised Mrs King that she would not be covered under her travel insurance policy for her pre-existing illness, and confirmed this with her.

That story makes this next article all the more worrying – The Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA) has presented new research, polling over 2000 people, which shows that around one in five holidaymakers is taking a risk by going abroad without any travel insurance. Other worrying statistics were also revealed by the travel organisation, including the fact that 16 per cent of respondents believe the UK government would cover the cost of medical expenses incurred abroad.

Lynda St Cooke, part of the UK Foreign Office’s Know Before You Go campaign, which is aimed at educating travellers, also said she see many cases where holidaymakers are faced with bills of tens of thousands of pounds for medical treatment and repatriation.

So what if you do have adequate travel insurance? Well hopefully you would not need to use it, but at least you know you have peace of mind if you do need to make a claim. ABTA’s survey also found that in the past five years, 12 per cent of respondents had made a claim on their travel insurance policy, with three per cent claiming over £500.

We would agree with the Foreign Office – it is so important that you get comprehensive travel insurance that includes your medical conditions, because otherwise medical treatment could work out so expensive, and can turn a holiday, that you have planned and looked forward to for ages, into a nightmare. We know it is said many a time, but it is really important that you make sure that you read the small print to check that your medical conditions are included in your insurance, and if you are not sure don’t be afraid to grill your insurance provider – that is what they are there for! And make sure that you don’t just rely on an European Health Insurance Card, it is not enough and won’t cover certain things, like travelling home in an air ambulance etc…

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